Call for submissions: Monsters and the Monstrous



Monsters and the Monstrous is a biannual peer-reviewed global journal that serves to explore the broad concept of ‘The Monster’ and ‘The Monstrous’ from a multifaceted interdisciplinary perspective. The journal publishes works that seek to investigate and assess the enduring influence and imagery of monsters and the monstrous on human culture throughout history. In particular, the journal has a dual focus with the intention of examining specific ‘monsters’ as well as evaluating the role, function and consequences of persons, actions or events identified as ‘monstrous’.



Current Call for Submissions

Volume 4, Number 1 (Summer) , Themed Issue on Monstrous Science
“Its magic Dr. Frankenstein!”…”No, its not magic…it’s science!”
(Dr. Whale, Once Upon a Time, Series 2)
“Let me tell you, my friend, that there are things done to-day in electrical science which would have been deemed unholy by the very men who discovered electricity—who would themselves not so long before have been burned as wizards.”
(Van Helsing, Dracula)
 This call for articles, artworks, poetry and prose considers the ways in which science can be seen as monstrous, or as the creator of monsters or a manifestation of a monstrous culture, society or ideology. This can be approached from an historical perspective, in the ways that “science” from the past is now viewed as barbaric/outdated/monstrous but also in the ways that current practice is either beyond common comprehension or is past is “sell by date.” This equally links into the ways that the scientific “avant-garde” of any period does not just bring innovation but also destruction. Monstrous science in this way is seen as that which knowingly goes beyond the accepted rules of international/medical law or of human ethics and morality but has unplanned for ramifications and results. In this last category is inevitably the figure of the evil genius but also the multinational conglomerate that sacrifices morality for monetary concerns. Within this are related cultural concerns over escalating global warming, ecological and economical disaster or even the zombie apocalypse. Such cultural specificity also highlights the uses of science where, in some cultures, more time and resources are spent researching cosmetics and weight loss medicines than cures to life threatening diseases. Monstrous science can be the processes and techniques used, or the ideologies that inform them. It can be the outcome of experiments, whether intentional or not as well as their uses, and what it tells us about those that perform them.
Submission are required on the following or related areas:
§  Biological enhancement, Frankenstein’s Monster, Godzilla, Cloning, GM crops etc.
§  Historical approaches/formulations: the four humours, eugenics, phrenology, hysteria etc.
§  Chemical weapons, bacterial warfare and medical cures gone wrong (i.e.28 Days Later).
§  The control and manipulation of the human body and the post-human future
§  Automatons, machine men, cyborgs, technologies from outer space
§  Rationality, quantum logic and ghosts in the machine and alternative science.
We are also looking for film and book reviews on any theme related to the idea of Monsters and the Monstrous. All materials reviewed should have been published or released within two years of the journal issue they are submitted to. Any queries, please contact the editor at the email below.
Submissions for this Issue are required by Friday 4th April 2014 at the latest. Contributions to the journal should be original and not under consideration for other publications at the same time as they are under consideration for this publication. Submissions are to be made electronically wherever possible using either Microsoft® Word or .rtf format. All images, artworks and photographs need to have the appropriate copyright permissions before being sent in.
We also invite submission to our special features on Non-English Language Book Reviews. Please mark entries for these topics with their respective headings.
All accepted articles, artworks and prose pieces will receive a free electronic version of the journal.

Length Requirements:
~ poetry, prose, short stories can be any length but not exceed 7,000 words.
~ articles should be between 4,000 – 7,000 words long
~ reflections, reports and responses should be 1,500 – 3,000 words long
~ book and film reviews should be between 500 and 1,500 words long

 

Submission Information:

All submissions should include a short biography (100-150 words) that will be included with the to be included submission if accepted. Please send submissions via e-mail using the following Subject Line:
‘Journal: Contribution Type (article/review/…): Author Surname’
Submissions E-Mail Address: ten.yranilpicsid-retni@lanruojsretsnom
Submissions will be acknowledged within 48 hours of receipt.

Style Sheets
All submissions should be formatted in accordance with the journal style sheets. A .pdf copy of these may be obtained from The Inter-Disciplinary Press web site: Go To Style Sheets

Proof/Checking
If accepted for publication, you will be provided with one opportunity to see a proof inspection copy of your submission. Only typographical or factual errors may be changed during proof checking stage. Revisions or addition to the text will not be possible.

Copy
All contributors will receive one complimentary PDF copy of the edition in which their submission appears. Camera-ready .pdf of prints will also be made available.

More details at: http://monstersjournal.net/submissions/